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Related Experiment Videos

Reproductive changes in fluctuating house mouse populations in southeastern Australia.

G Singleton1, C J Krebs, S Davis

  • 1CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, GPO Box 284, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. grant.singleton@cse.csiro.au

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|August 17, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Mouse reproduction in Australia is linked to population density. High mouse numbers depress litter size, while rapid population growth extends the breeding season, potentially leading to plagues.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Zoology
  • Mammalogy

Background:

  • House mouse (Mus domesticus) populations in Australia exhibit irregular outbreaks.
  • Understanding reproductive changes is crucial for predicting population dynamics and managing potential plagues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess changes in house mouse reproductive output from 1982 to 2000 in relation to population abundance.
  • To identify factors influencing reproductive success and their role in population outbreaks.

Main Methods:

  • Long-term monitoring of house mouse populations in the Victorian mallee region.
  • Analysis of litter size, female body size, seasonality, and breeding season duration in relation to mouse abundance.
  • Comparison of reproductive patterns with rodent population dynamics in the Northern Hemisphere.

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Main Results:

  • Litter size in female mice is positively correlated with body size and exhibits seasonal variation (highest in spring, lowest in autumn/winter).
  • Litter size is reduced when breeding seasons commence at high mouse abundance.
  • Rapid population increases are associated with earlier and extended breeding seasons, and a larger size at which females initiate reproduction.

Conclusions:

  • An early, extended breeding season is necessary but not sufficient for house mouse plagues.
  • Reproductive changes in Australian house mice share similarities but also differ from those observed in Northern Hemisphere rodent populations.
  • Food quality, particularly protein availability, is a likely driver of observed reproductive changes, though field evidence remains conflicting.